Trace element analysis of L and LL chondrites: Comparison of Antarctic and non-Antarctic meteorite populations

Miscellaneous · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6935839

Kaczaral, P W

The author reports compositional data for mobile/volatile trace elements Au, Co, Se, Ga, Rb, Cs, Te, Bi, In, Ag, Zn, Tl and Cd in Antarctic L chondrites and both Antarctic and non-Antarctic LL chondrites. A comparison of previously obtained non-Antarctic L chondrite data to L chondrite results obtained in this work indicates that significant reason exists to doubt that the two meteorite populations derived from the same parent source. Of the 13 trace elements examined, 7 showed statistically significant differences between mildly-shocked populations; the Antarctic collection had the lower mean elemental concentration in each of those 7 cases. Two-element plots and correlation profiles also indicated significant differences between Antarctic and non-Antarctic populations. Shock-induced trace element mobilization, a major determinant of trace element contents in non-Antarctic L chondrites, plays a minor role in determining elemental abundances in Antarctic L chondrites. After ruling out alternate explanations, the author believes these differences to have a preterrestrial origin and attribute them to a changing meteorite flux with time. Due to a lack of available samples, the LL chondrite study was inconclusive. The data are consistent with previous findings which suggest Yamato Mts. and Victoria Land samples may be compositionally different. A positive correlation between trace element content and petrologic type was observed in LL chondrites. Whether this unexpected finding is due to a unique shock history of LL4 + 5 chondrites or some other explanation is unclear; more samples must be analyzed and shock facies must be obtained to further investigate this finding. Shock-induced trace element mobilization was found to be a minor factor in determining trace element content in LL chondrites.

• Research Organization: Purdue Univ., Lafayette, IN (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6935839
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
CHONDRITES
MULTI-ELEMENT ANALYSIS
ANTARCTICA
BISMUTH
CADMIUM
CESIUM
COBALT
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
GALLIUM
GOLD
IMPACT SHOCK
INDIUM
RUBIDIUM
SELENIUM
SILVER
TELLURIUM
THALLIUM
TRACE AMOUNTS
VARIATIONS
VOLATILE MATTER
ZINC
ALKALI METALS
ANTARCTIC REGIONS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
ELEMENTS
MATTER
METALS
METEORITES
POLAR REGIONS
SEMIMETALS
STONE METEORITES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
580000* - Geosciences